Envelope-sealing apparatus



Nov. 17, 1964 H. E. LAWES ENVELOPE-SEALING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1'7, 1963 Nov. 17, 1964 H. E. LAWES 3,157,161

ENVELOPE-SEALING APPARATUS United States Patent 3,157,161 ENVELOPE-SEALING APPARATUS Harry Edward Lawes, Birmingham, England, assignor to M. Myers & Son Limited, Oldhury, near Birmingham, England Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,191 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 21, 1962, 19,406/ 62 2 Claims. (Cl. 120-6) This invention relates to envelope-sealing apparatus and has for one of its objects the provision of such apparatus in a convenient form.

It is a further object to provide envelope sealing apparatus in which the gummed flap of an envelope can be moistened and subsequently stuck to the rest of the envelope in a very simple and time-saving manner.

Thus in its broadest aspect, the invention consists of envelope-sealing apparatus which comprises a receptacle for water, roller feed mean mounted in said receptacle and adapted in use to transfer water from said receptacle to the gummed flap of a scalable envelope, a pair of clamping members which are pivotally connected together, and resilient means for urging said clamping members towards a relatively open position in which they afford between them a gap into which an envelope to be sealed can be inserted, said clamping members being relatively movable against the force exerted by said resilient means towards a closed position in which pressure is applied to an envelope inserted between them to elfect adhesion of the previously wetted gummed flap to the rest of the envelope.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one example of an envelope-sealing apparatus in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the example shown in the drawings, there is provided a body having a receptacle 11 which is mounted in a recess in its upper surface. Disposed within said receptacle is a pair of inter-engaging rollers 12 which are arranged to rotate about vertically spaced horizontal axes. The upper roller projects above the top of the receptacle and in use water will be placed in the receptacle so that an envelope to be sealed can be pushed over the upper roller beneath a guide surface 13 and the gummed flap of the envelope will thus be moistened by water picked up from the receptacle by the rollers. The apparatus is also provided with a lid 14.

Mounted beneath the aforementioned receptacle in a recess in the body is a pair of clamping members 15 and 16 which are each of plate-like form. Conveniently the clamping members are each of rectangular configuration and one of the longer edges of one member is pivotally connected to the adjacent longer edge of the other member so that the two members are arranged one above the other with the axis of the pivotal connection between them extending in a generally horizontal direction along the back of the aforementioned recess. Furthermore one or more springs 17 are provided for urging the two members towards a relatively open position so that they afford a gap between them into which an envelope to be sealed can be inserted.

The lower clamping member 16 is provided with a thin pad 18 of a foamed synthetic resin material or other resilient material mounted on a supporting plate 19 and said lower member is also provided along its free edge 3,157,161 Patented Nov. 17, 1964 ICC opposite to its edge connected to the other member with an extension 20 which projects laterally from the body and which can be engaged in use by the hand of an operator.

The lower clamping member 16 is also provided on its under side with a rib or other projection 21 which extends in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of the connection between the two clamping members and said rib or other projection engages in a suitable recess or recesses 22 formed in the body so that said lower clamping member can itself be pivoted about said rib or projection by depressing the aforementioned extension 20.

The recess in the body of the apparatus in which the clamping members are disposed is provided on its upper surface with a downwardly extending projection forming an abutment 23 which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the upper clamping member 15 at a position inwardly of that edge thereof which is pivotally connected to the lower clamping member 16. Thus when the lower clamping member is pivoted as aforesaid by depressing the extension 20 the upper clamping member will be caused to engage said abutment 23 and will have the effect of moving the upper clamping member towards the lower member so that an envelope placed between the two clamping members will be gripped between the upper clamping member and the aforementioned pad 18 provided on the lower member. A previously moistened gummed flap can thus be caused to adhere to the rest of the envelope. Release of said extension 20 of the lower clamping member will cause the two clamping members to spring apart so that the sealed envelope can be withdrawn, leaving the two clamping members in a relatively open position ready to receive the next envelope to be sealed.

The apparatus thus provides in a neat and simple fashion means for moistening the gummed flap of an envelope and means for applying pressure to the envelope to cause the moistened flap to adhere to the rest of the envelope.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Envelope-sealing apparatus comprising a body having a receptacle for water, roller feed means mounted in said receptacle and adapted in use to transfer water from said receptacle to the gummed flap of a scalable envelope, a pair of substantially rigid clamping members arranged one above the other and mounted in a recess in said body beneath said receptacle, means pivotally connecting said clamping members together and means mounting the lower clamping member for pivotal movement relative to the body about an axis parallel to the axis of the pivotal connection between the two clamping members, an extension carried by said lower clamping member projecting laterally from the body and engageable in use by the hand of an operator, resilient means for urging said clamping members towards a relatively open position in which they provide a gap therebetween into which an envelope to be sealed can be inserted, and an abutment on the body extending into the recess engageable by the upper face of the upper clamping member whereby pivotal movement of said lower clamping member relative tothe body efiected by downward pressure on said extension will result in said upper clamping member engaging said abutment to move the upper clamping member downwardly towards the lower clamping member so that an envelope inserted into the gap therebetween will be gripped to efiect adhesion of the previously wetted gummed flap to the rest of the envelope.

2. Envelope-sealing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means mounting the lower clamping member for pivotal movement relative to the body includes a rib on the underside of the lower clamping member which References Cited in the file of this patent extends in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of the UNITED STATES PATENTS means pivotally connecting the two clamping members together and said body being provided with a further 1,035,294 Young 1 1912 recess engaged by said rib whereby said lower clamping 5 1,072,262 RuSZkOWSkl pt 1913 member is pivotable on said rib. 1,369,384 Bousquet Feb. 22, 1921 

1. ENVELOPE-SEALING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A RECEPTACLE FOR WATER, ROLLER FEED MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID RECEPTACLE AND ADAPTED IN USE TO TRANSFER WATER FROM SAID RECEPTACLE TO THE GUMMED FLAP OF A SEALABLE ENVELOPE, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID CLAMPING MEMBERS ARRANGED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND MOUNTED IN A RECESS IN SAID BODY BENEATH SAID RECEPTACLE, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS TOGETHER AND MEANS MOUNTING THE LOWER CLAMPING MEMBER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BODY ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO CLAMPING MEMBERS, AN EXTENSION CARRIED BY SAID LOWER CLAMPING MEMBER PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM THE BODY AND ENGAGEABLE IN USE BY THE HAND OF AN OPERATOR, RESILIENT MEANS FOR URGING SAID CLAMPING MEMBERS TOWARDS A RELATIVELY OPEN POSITION IN WHICH THEY PROVIDE A GAP THEREBETWEEN INTO WHICH AN ENVELOPE TO BE SEALED CAN BE INSERTED, AND AN ABUTMENT ON THE BODY EXTENDING INTO THE RECESS ENGAGEABLE BY THE UPPER FACE OF THE UPPER CLAMPING MEMBER WHEREBY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWER CLAMPING MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE BODY EFFECTED BY DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON SAID EXTENSION WILL RESULT IN SAID UPPER CLMAPING MEMBER ENGAGING SAID ABUTMENT TO MOVE THE UPPER CLAMPING MEMBER DOWNWARDLY TOWARDS THE LOWER CLAMPING MEMBER SO THAT AN ENVELOPE INSERTED INTO THE GAP THEREBETWEEN WILL BE GRIPPED TO EFFECT ADHESION OF THE PREVIOUSLY WETTED GUMMED FLAP TO THE REST OF THE ENVELOPE. 